


Movies and Motives

by Nicolemoon8



Series: Irondad Comfortember 2020 [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Comfortember 2020, Disney Mulan the Original, Gen, Hot Cocoa, Irondad, Movie Night, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Slight Team Cap bashing, Sorry Not Sorry, Team Dynamics, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Trust Issues, platonic cuddles, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicolemoon8/pseuds/Nicolemoon8
Summary: All Peter and Tony wanted to do was commence their weekly movie night uninterrupted. The last thing either of them expected was to spend it in tense silence due to uninvited (and unwanted) guests. Although, how long could silence really last in a room full of Avengers?COMFORTEMBER PROMPTS INCLUDED:16. Protective18. Hot Cocoa19. Memory Lane20. Movie Night
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Irondad Comfortember 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007865
Comments: 26
Kudos: 197
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	Movies and Motives

**Author's Note:**

> Hey gang, my second to last Comfortember story! I l.i.v.e. for protective Tony and protective Peter. Hope I did em justice with my little slice of writing! Btw, my Word expired on all devices halfway through writing this so that was fun! Enjoy!

“Mr. Stark, I’m glad you’re eating more regularly nowadays.” Peter said from where he was leaning against Tony's chest. “It makes you a better pillow.” He smiled cheekily.

Tony sputtered, “Excuse me, are you calling me fat? I’m a superhero, I’m in amazing shape!”

Peter couldn’t help but laugh at the indignant squawking from his mentor. “No, not fat. Just…squishy! Like a perfect pillow.” He softened the teasing by nuzzling closer, his arm already resting across Tony, while they continued their tradition of Saturday night movie marathons.

“Hmph. Well, I’m happy I can be so comfortable for you to snuggle and drool on.”

“Hey! I'm not drooling! I’m _awake_ and minding my own business watching Mulan!”

“Whatever you say Spider-Baby.” Tony gave the kid a playful shove but as soon as Peter started pulling away, he quickly corrected it by squeezing him tighter against his side. If you had told Tony even a year ago that he would crave the heavy comforting weight against his chest from a teenager, he would have paid for your therapy.

They continued watching their movie, cuddled up on the couch, snacks forgotten on the side table. Just after the pair jammed out to I’ll Make a Man Out of You, Friday interrupted.

_“Boss, you have incoming from the sixty-eighth floor.”_

Peter felt Mr. Stark tense under him. He knew enough about the Rogues to understand why the man's reaction was what it was. Peter felt a wave of anger and protectiveness wash though him. He knew Miss Pepper and Colonel Rhodes also had a problem with welcoming the group back into the Tower, even though Mr. Stark said it was the right thing to do.

“How about you head to your room or the lab for a little while, Squirt.” Tony suggested, only slightly feeling rushed and out of sorts. His internal mantra of _keep Peter safe, keep Peter safe_ ringing a little louder than usual with every second the elevator got closer to their floor. He knew logically that his old ~~family~~ teammates wouldn’t hurt him or his kid unprovoked but he just…he couldn’t take that chance, not when it came to Peter. Never when it came to Peter.

Now it was the boy’s turn to squawk indignantly, “What! No! You’re out of your mind if you think I’m gonna ditch you when you need backup!” They both stood up from the couch at the same time.

“Kid, I appreciate that, I do. But I don’t need backup, we're painting fences or whatever. Getting the gang back together, all that jazz. Not to mention, they don’t know a thing about you and I'd really like to ke- “

The elevator dinged.

_“Boss, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton and Sam Wilson have arrived.”_

Tony locked eyes with Peter, caught between trying to keep his shit together and appearing like he didn’t need to keep his shit together in the first place.

“Capsicle, Birds, Nat. How nice of you all to drop in unannounced and uninvited on this fine Saturday evening.” Tony greeted as he swiftly sidestepped in front of Peter, walking towards the group and hopefully drawing their attention his way. Tony easily fell into what Pepper dubbed the ‘snarky shithead' persona. If anyone had asked him, he would call it survival mode, since it sure felt like it was only needed in these kinds of tense situations. 

Speaking of, Tony felt his heart rate spike through the ceiling when he clocked Natasha staring somewhere behind him. 

“So, guys. What do you need?” He tried again; the sooner they’re dealt with the sooner he could get back to his comfortable movie night with the kid. “I wasn’t expecting to see you until training on Monday.”

Steve stepped forward first, a small apologetic smile on his face. “It was my idea Tony. I figured since we've been back a few weeks and haven’t seen each other more than the required meetups, it might be a good idea to, you know, hang out some. Find our footing again.”

“Yeah, great in theory Cap but now isn't a good time.”

“Who's the kid?” Barton spoke up from where he was leaning against the closed elevator doors.

“No one. How about we plan a lunch or something? I’ll have Friday find us a time.” 

“How about a movie night, like old times?” Natasha suggested, tone far too light to not have a hidden meaning of some kind.

“Fine, sure, whatever.”

“Well, it looks like now is a good time, you’ve got a movie going with snacks at the ready. Why don’t we join you?” And there it was. He should have seen that setup coming a mile away. In the next moment he felt a warm presence appear behind him and a finger hooking through one of his belt loops, a telltale sign the kid was nervous whether he meant to show it or not. Well, the best way out is through, right? And it’s not like Tony had much choice anyway. The safest path seemed to be the one of least resistance today.

“Guys, this is Peter. Peter these are the guys.” A little throat clearing had him correcting himself. “And Natasha.” He brought an arm around Peter, bringing him half a step forward and against his side.

“Hi, I’m Natasha. You can call me Nat if you like.”

“Hi.” Peter was glad his voice didn’t crack.

“And I'm Sam Wilson, nice to meet you Peter.” Sam greeted warmly with a handshake.

“I’m Clint, but you probably knew that. What I'd like to know is how do you know Tony? You know, having secret families is more common than you might think.”

“Clint.” Steve’s voice was reprimanding, his face showing some embarrassment but some curiosity himself. He turned back toward the pair that did have a certain likeness he supposed. “Sorry, feel free to ignore him. We're not here to interrogate anyone or anything. I’m Steve by the way, Steve Rogers.”

“Yeah. I know who you are.” 

Tony’s mouth fell open at the boy's cold tone. He wracked his brain trying to think if he’d ever heard his kid sound angry before because he just heard it now and he wasn’t the only one. Tony saw the others shift uncomfortably at the quick change in tone and body language.

“Um right,” Steve said, confusion clear in his eyes, as he retracted the hand he had held out to shake.

“Well, that was awkward,” Clint helpfully added after the moment stretched a bit too long for his liking. “So kid, what are we watching?”

The group took that as their cue to enter the living room. With a hand on Peter's shoulder, Tony nudged the kid to sit in the corner of the couch, taking a seat directly next to him, their shoulders overlapping while they faced the others.

“Mulan, huh? Classic.” Clint said from the loveseat he sprawled himself across, leaving the other three newcomers on the remaining couch. Friday continued the movie, the room completely silent without it. 

As much as Tony would have liked to continue enjoying the night with his kid, he couldn’t help but pay his attention to the others in the room. He watched as Sam peeked at the various snack and junk food containers, hearing him whine when he found all the gummy worms already eaten. He watched on and rolled his eyes seeing Clint hum and dance along to the movie, not like he was doing the exact same just a little while ago. He also saw Steve and Nat each send a glance or two his way, and therefore Peter's way. They weren’t obvious about it, and both respectively turned away when their eyes caught but it still set his teeth on edge.

Tony knew he couldn’t stay as tense as he was, even if he was an expert at hiding it. Peter had a knack for picking up his stress and emotions like no one he’d ever seen before. Speaking of which, the kid had been surprisingly quiet since that little scene earlier with the introductions. Tony tore his split focus away from watching the others and appearing like he wasn't doing so, to turn towards the kid.

“You good, Pete?” He asked quietly, smiling at how Peter had managed to curl himself around the man's arm without him noticing. Tony moved his free hand to rest against Peter's knee that was currently tucked up against him.

“Mhmm,” Peter replied just as quietly, his gaze never leaving the flickering of the TV. Tony wanted to push but he was learning. Enough phone calls with a well-spoken Italian woman on said subject tended to make one a fast learner. For now, he took a breath and tried relaxing back into the cushions.

He absentmindedly began tapping a beat against Peter's knee, trying to get his thoughts in order. There was a part of him that wanted more than anything to let the memories take over, for it to be like old times. The team used to be more than a team with how they easily traded quips always in good spirit, with banter never even suggesting towards something malicious or unkind. They were a group of people who found exactly what they needed in each other. They spent so much time together with constant training, lab days, shared meals and of course movie nights.

But now, this was something completely different. It was something tentative and new, but it didn’t have a stable foundation yet. It had an underlying thrum of potential and it seemed like a breath in the wrong direction could tip it either way. And Tony had learned his lesson the second his dad's shield was thrust into his chest by none other than the guy he spent side by side with saving the world. God, was it too much to ask that he only have to see him and the others when it was required? He knew he'd have to get past it to prepare for the next big fight but it wasn't the easiest to do when even sitting across from the guy was sending him flashes of memories and ringing in his ears.

Peter, ever empathic Peter, took note of the rising tension in his mentor, of the heartbeat thrumming against where his head rested against Mr. Stark's collarbone. Peter slowly grabbed a hold of the man's hand that was resting against his knee, and started rubbing soft circles against the scarred knuckles, with gradually increasing and decreasing pressure. He left their other arms entwined, taking comfort of his own in the closeness. Peter would have said something reassuring when he noticed Mr. Stark's breathing returned to normal but he didn't want to draw any attention their way from the others who were still focused on the movie.

Turns out he didn't have to say anything as Mr. Stark turned his way and gave him an appreciative smile, knocking his forehead gently against Peter's in silent acknowledgement. Now that the man looked a bit more relaxed, Peter figured it would be a good time to get him something warm to drink to really settle the last of the tension.

"I'm gonna make us some hot cocoa." Peter whispered. Tony nodded his agreement.

"Need help?"

"No, I don't mind. Besides, I don't like when Shan Yu is mean to the Emperor." He said, standing up with a quick stretch before heading towards the kitchen. Tony gazed back at the t.v. and sure enough the bad dude was about to get pushy with the old guy. God he loved his kid.

The others didn't miss the interaction or the uncharacteristic dopey grin it left on Tony's face. About thirty seconds after Peter had left, Natasha figured it was about time to get some answers, she wasn't fond of being out of the loop after all.

"You're looking pretty comfortable over there Tony. Where do I get a kid who likes cuddles?" Natasha smirked as she teased the man.

"Very funny. How about you ask Birdo over there, he seems to have a stockpile of his own. Maybe he could lend you one."

"Man, I wish I could get my kids to cuddle. Coop and Lila are both well into the 'Dad is so lame' phase. I'm just crossing my fingers Nate never gets to that point."

"You two do seem pretty close. Is he yours?" Sam chimed in curiously, now that the subject had been broached.

It seemed like they collectively decided to forgo movie watching.

"No, he's not _mine_. He is my intern though and I don't want you pestering him. You'll make him nervous."

"Uh, if it sounds like a dad and looks like a dad…" Clint trailed off.

"Look, the kid is off limits can we leave it at that?"

"You can tell us if he was, yours, I mean." Steve said, seeing the uneasiness in Tony but needing it said all the same. He locked eyes with the man, wanting him to be able to trust in what he was saying. "We'd keep it quiet as long as you wanted. We could help keep him safe."

Tony couldn't help but scoff, it escaped him like a reflex. Maybe down the line, if they were able to mend things and get back to some semblance of a team, he would maybe consider broaching the idea of discussing Peter in a minimal capacity at most. 

"Yeah, you do a good job of keeping the people you care about safe, don't you?" Again, the words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and he wasn't all that sure he wanted to stop them in the first place. But he was smart enough to recognize this probably wasn't the best time and place to hash things out. Especially with how fast things were getting heated.

"Okay boys, lets save this for later, alright?" Natasha leaned closer towards the edge of her seat.

"Look, Tony, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just, I needed you to stop." Steve said, the words coming out a bit sharper as he felt the need to defend his actions.

"And it sure didn't seem like you had a problem making that happen." Tony practically snarled. He bet Friday and Pepper were gonna give him hell later for his severe fluctuation in vitals throughout the evening.

Before the argument could turn into a serious issue, the group caught sight of Peter standing frozen in the doorway, a mug in either hand. It didn't go amiss his eyes were back to the steeliness they glimpsed earlier in the night.

"Out." Peter said quietly but firmly.

"Kid."

"Hey, it's okay. We'll stop- "

"Get out. Right. Now." The switch between the kid's earlier adorable manner to the now ferocious determination as he demanded the group to leave took a moment to sink in.

When no one moved, Peter stepped forward from the room entrance toward the couches. The quick and confident movement got the rest to stand and begin filing out of the room. Peter placed the mugs on the table in front of Mr. Stark, eyes never straying from the leaving group. Clint and Steve both turned back to say something more but were met with Peter standing firm, arms crossed, blocking Tony from view completely, an echo of their earlier positions. Not another word was said as the Ex-Avengers entered the lift, doors closing behind them. Still full of big confusing emotions, Peter exhaled, feeling like a deflated balloon. 

Tony watched the kid heave a sigh and plop down directly next to him again where he himself sat frozen in complete awe. His previous frustrated and hurtful thoughts were completely shoved out the window when the kid stood up to a room of Avengers...for him. 

"Pete…"

He couldn't even begin to explain the warm feelings in his chest, completely different from the constricting iciness that was filling it just moments ago. This kid, his kid. God, what did he ever do to deserve someone like Peter standing up with such conviction to defend him. He didn't even know where to begin explaining what he was feeling, so instead he scooped the boy up, pulling him into his lap and squeezed him as tight as he could. Tony ignored the startled yelp from the kid and continued holding him close, hoping to repay even an ounce of the steadfast love and security he felt from Peter's actions.

He was rewarded in kind after Peter realized they were hugging and it wasn't going to end anytime soon. The kid got comfortable, allowing all of his weight to rest against the man as the drop of adrenaline made him feel sleepy.

"I got you cocoa." Peter murmured after a few minutes. He didn't want to waste a perfectly good drink after all, did he?

Tony laughed, opening his eyes to look down at his kid who appeared right at home and ready to doze against his chest. "I see that kiddo, it smells good too. However, I can't exactly reach it at the moment seeing as I have my arms completely full of Spider-Baby." He teased.

"Hmm, too bad. Guess we'll have to make more later." Peter supposed it wasn't that big of a waste.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Too wordy? Too short? Too Blah? Too something? Let a gal know! 
> 
> One more story in this series to come focusing on the prompts "Exhaustion" and "Panic Attacks", both old buddies of mine ha
> 
> Until next time friends!


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